Nagaoka, Niigata


Nagaoka is a city located in Niigata Prefecture, Japan. It is the second largest city in the prefecture, after the capital city of Niigata., the city had an estimated population of 271,444 in 107,374 households and a population density of. The total area of the city was.

Geography

Nagaoka is in the center of Niigata prefecture and the surrounding Chūetsu region of Japan, between longitude 138°E and latitude 37°N. It is 80 minutes from Tokyo by way of the Joetsu Shinkansen or three hours on the Kan-Etsu Expressway and is considered a strategic traffic point in the region. Nagaoka was an inland city until January 1, 2006, when the city merged with four municipalities; two were touching the Sea of Japan. The Shinano River flows through the city from south to north and industrial development is on both banks of the river. The Higashiyama mountain range lies to the east.

Surrounding municipalities

From the north, following Nagaoka's border counterclockwise:
Sado Island is connected by sea and air routes.

Climate

Nagaoka has a Humid climate characterized by warm, wet summers and cold winters with heavy snowfall. The average annual temperature in Nagaoka is 12.6 °C. The average annual rainfall is 2336 mm with September as the wettest month. The temperatures are highest on average in August, at around 26.0 °C, and lowest in January, at around 0.3 °C.

Demographics

Per Japanese census data, the population of Nagaoka peaked at around 1995 and has declined steadily since.
Census YearPopulation
1970279,395
1980289,234
1990290,923
2000292,887
2010282,674

History

The area of present-day Nagaoka was part of ancient Echigo Province. Under the Tokugawa shogunate, a castle town was constructed by Hori Naoyori lord of Nagaoka Domain in 1616. However, as the initial castle was located in an area prone to flooding by the Shinano River, a new castle was built at the site of present-day Nagaoka Station in 1617. Nagaoka flourished as under the reign of the 13 generations of the Makino clan during the Edo period. In the Boshin War of 1868 during the Meiji Restoration, Nagaoka Domain was a member of the Ōuetsu Reppan Dōmei against the imperial forces, and the city was reduced to rubble during the Battle of Hokuetsu. A gift of one hundred sacks of rice from a neighboring province was sold to finance a new school during the reconstruction of Nagaoka, from which the anecdote of Kome Hyappyo was born.
With the Meiji period creation of the modern municipalities system on April 1, 1889, the towns of Nagaoka and Nagaoka-honmachi were established. The two towns were merged on November 1, 1901 with the towns of Senju, Kusouzu, Ara, and village of Ouchi to form the modern town of Nagaoka, which was then raised to city status on April 1, 1906.

Municipal timeline

Nagaoka has a mayor-council form of government with a directly elected mayor and a unicameral city legislature of 34 members. The city contributes six members to the Niigata Prefectural Assembly.

Economy

Industry

The manufacturing industry prospered in Nagaoka following World War II, due in part to favorable location and good transportation infrastructure. Current industrial production includes precision instruments and machine tools.

Universities and colleges

The city of Nagaoka operates 61 public elementary schools and 27 public middle schools. There is also one public middle school operated by the national government. Nagaoka also has nine public high schools operated by the Niigata Prefectural Board of Education and three private high schools. The prefecture also operates three special education schools in the city.

Transportation

Railway

- Joetsu Shinkansen
JR East - Joetsu Line
JR East - Shin'etsu Main Line
JR East - Echigo Line
JR East - Iiyama Line

Bus

Local bus service in Nagaoka is managed by Echigo Kotsu. The bus terminal located at the east entrance of Nagaoka Station serves as the hub for the route network. Service extends to all parts of the city as well as many outlying suburban areas and villages. A bus service connecting Nagaoka Station to Niigata, Niigata Station runs at intervals of approximately 30 minutes. Additionally, long-distance bus services are available to all major cities in the prefecture as well as Tokyo.

Road

Expressway

Nagaoka JCT is a strategic interchange which connects two expressways, Hokuriku Expressway and Kan-Etsu Expressway.
Nagaoka is twinned with:

Places of interest